Join or Die: A Post-Election Strategy for the American Pro-Mission Movement

Lately, it’s been quiet for the American pro-mission movement-those people and organization who believe in and support our country’s missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the War on Terror as a whole. With a few exceptions, we have not seen the large rallies and demonstrations in 2008 that dominated years past.

As the likelihood increases that the next four years of life in this country might be spent under a president who has made surrender his policy, how does this movement keep the momentum that it has developed? With the specter of a liberal, antiwar White House and Congress, what steps must the movement take to ensure its long term survival?

The pro-mission movement must put aside internal differences and arguments for the sake of a greater cause-speaking up for our nation and those who serve. The internal struggles at Freedom’s Watch-an organization once billed as the conservative counter to MoveOn.org-should serve as a lesson to us all. Many of our organizations have their birth in arguments of procedures, strategy, membership, and finances. What we fail to realize is that each new organization that is created only draws away from the limited resources that we have available. These new organizations also shrink our turnout at large events, as people sometimes will only attend events put on by “their” organization.

The search for a big-name donor for our movement must end, and we must create an effective model of fundraising. There is no George Soros-like savior for the pro-mission movement. More importantly, in order to establish ourselves as a true grassroots movement, one isn’t needed. Through formal organization, recruiting, and legitimization in the public eye, pro-mission organizations will be able to effectively raise the money they need for operating costs and to fund major events.

To become effective-and in the interests of longevity for our cause-we must unite ourselves in times of crisis. The upcoming elections present our movement with a unique opportunity to make our voices heard. This election will determine the overall course of our nation for the next four years. Within our movement, each organization has a certain expertise-some are good at tackling the media, some at arranging demonstrations. There are times when this knowledge should be pooled together in common efforts. Also, larger and better established organizations must help fledgling ones to establish and organize themselves.

The bottom line: we must put aside infighting, and-in times where an unfavorable outcome would affect us all-we must unite to prevent that outcome. The overall goal for our movement is to stand up in protection of our country and way of life, and not achieving “15 minutes of fame” for individuals and organizations.